When most people think about climate change, the first thing that comes to mind is the burning of fossil fuels for energy or transport. Rarely are forests considered. But they must be. The deal struck at the Paris climate change summit (COP 21) in December 2015 confirmed this. Forests and forestry, long a side note to larger conversations about reduction of emissions from energy supply and use, were topics of increased focus and discussion.

The MIF and Nordic Development Fund’s (NDF) EcoMicro program had a busy 2015. For those of you unfamiliar with EcoMicro, this award-winning program provides technical assistance to financial institutions to develop green lending products, measure and mitigate climate risk in their portfolios, and reduce the environmental impact of their own operations.

When the MIF, in partnership with the Nordic Development Fund, first launched the EcoMicro program—which works with microfinance institutions in the region to develop green credit products—there was a lot we didn’t know for sure. Were there many MFIs out there seeking to make their portfolios more environmentally friendly? Would there be demand among customers for loans to help them make their homes or businesses more energy efficient? And once the pilot versions of these green credit products had been introduced, would they be scaled up and reach sustainability?

Having been in the ground now for two days at the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, I thought it would be a good idea to share some of the most interesting things I have heard so far in the sessions I have attended. I have been at the Corporate Sustainability Forum since Saturday. The forum, attended by nearly 2,500 people, is an event to discuss concrete private sector solutions to energy poverty and climate change.